Author John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of “Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use” and USCCA certified instructor, NRA certified pistol, rifle and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws.

“KNOCK, KNOCK!” “Who’s there?”

This is not a joke. Criminals and burglars have gotten more brazen over the years. Generally speaking, your run-of-the-mill burglar is not looking for a fight or for occupants in their home. However, there are those that are home invaders, not caring about who could be occupying a dwelling when they’re gaining entry for the purpose of theft. The data might surprise you when you learn about these instances though. Bad things happen to good people. When it comes to those who end up the victim of a crime, the most vulnerable in our society is usually targeted. Are you vulnerable? Where do you rank statistically?

Let’s first look at some statistics concerning break-ins and burglary events. The numbers that we’re going to look at are from 2020, through the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer and the Uniform Crime Report.

• In 2020 there were 247,238 residential burglaries during the day and 194,324 during the night.

• 37% of the offenders, their age is “unknown”. The 2nd runner up would be offenders between the ages of 20-29, making up 19%. The 3rd demographic is 30-39 at 18%. In 4th, ages 10-19 at 10%. The 40-49 range accounts for 8%. Ages 50-59 account for 5.4%. Other age demographics are in the thousands and make up 1% or less each, respectively.

• The age demographic that has the largest recorded number of burglaries committed on them is 30-39 making up 21% of the victims. After that, the age ranges do go up incrementally, excepting 10-19 as an outlier. We have: 20-29 year-olds in 2nd, 40-49 range in 3rd, 50-59 4th, 60-69 in 5th, 70-79 in 6th, 10-19 in 7th, and 80-89 in 8th. The 90 and older age range ranked last.

• In Table 15, “Crime Trends Additional Information About Selected Offenses by Population Group 2019-2020” in the “Offenses Known to Law Enforcement 2020” data set, we have further information about burglaries. 523,839 involved forcible entries, 354,613 involved unlawful entries, and 60,161 were attempted forcible entries.

What do these numbers mean to us? More burglaries occur during the day than at night, with daytime events occurring in 56% of recorded the instances! Worried about what goes “bump” in the night? Perhaps we should direct our attention to what goes “bump” in the day.

Of the known age ranges of offenders, we’re more likely to have perpetrators be between the ages of 20-29 criminalizing us. The older age demographics of 40 and up are less likely to commit a burglary. You’re more prone to be victimized by a young person than an older. Younger perpetrators have many advantages over more stately people, which need not be highlighted. As for who gets their homes burglarized? The good news is in the highest numbers of instances, the victims are in their 30’s. The age range from 50 and up rank the lowest on the scale of who’s going to be victimized. That’s a win for our more mature population.

Forcible entries outnumber unlawful entries by over 30%. That means more than the majority of cases, people are actively forcing their way in. More formally defined, “Forcible Entry” is the crime of taking possession of a house, other structure, or land by the use of physical force or serious threats against the occupants. This can include breaking windows, doors, or using terror to gain entry, as well as forcing the occupants out by threat or violence after having come in peacefully. For a statistically perfect burglary, the event would happen during the day, by someone in their 20’s, to someone in their 30’s, via forcible entry. Don’t fit that description? That doesn’t mean it won’t happen to you!

Keep in mind these are statistics from 2020, where the United States was in partial lock-down due to the pandemic. The full effect of the pandemic on crime has yet to be completely explored.

When someone comes knocking at your door, the first thing you should think about is whether you’re expecting someone. If you’re not, then the situation could be one of these forcible entries. One of the more common methods employed by those breaking in to rob you is called the “push-in”. A push-in involves someone, perhaps innocent looking like a young woman, knocking on the door/ringing the bell. When the resident opens the door after seeing someone that looks non-threatening, another individual comes from an area out of sight and forcibly pushes their way into the home. That occupant has just become the victim of a home invasion.

Another way criminals might get the better of those unsuspecting of getting robbed involves a similar situation, with someone coming to the front door again. While one of the conspirators keeps the resident occupied in the front, the other(s) will gain entry to the home through a back door or window.
How do you protect yourself in these situations? Alertness is key!

Don’t answer the door to anyone you don’t know. If the person claims to be from a utility company or with law enforcement, call up the company or agency directly to confirm someone is coming to make a house call. Generally speaking if the utility companies are doing something, they send out robo-calls to alert all their customers of what’s going on.

Utilize video door bells/security cameras to be able to see who is at your door. Take advantage of the feature that allows you to talk to the person on the other side to find out what they want. Have a family member or other trusted friend also have access to these systems. That may seem like an invasion of privacy, but it’s really a good way to keep those that care about you informed about who may or may not be trying to take advantage of you.

Have an alarm system and use it. Homes with alarm systems are three times less likely to be burglarized than those without them. Having window/door stickers as well as signage indicating the property has central alarm monitoring can help dissuade would be criminals from targeting you. Set it in “home” mode when you’re in your house. There’s really no reason to not have your alarm set most of the time.

Come up with some plans. Get with family and friends and go over what might make you vulnerable in your home. Do you have a sliding glass door in the back of your home? How about a medium to large terracotta planter? That planter can become the “master key” to getting into your home if it gets thrown through the glass door. Have a good look around to see what might be used against you on your property.

Like all things in life, there’s no guarantee that you won’t be a victim of a crime. However, if you exercise prudence and implement a plan, you have a higher chance of not being one of those statistical numbers mentioned above!